Automatic water valve



Feb- 24, 1953 N. F. ToADvlNE AUTOMATIC WATER VALVE' Filed 001;. 20, 1950 7A- y MAIWY J m. F

' IN VEN TOR. MAMM /1' 7&40 v/NE BY I 972m mzawz v f T TGIF/VEP@ Patented Fel). 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC WATER VALVE Norman F. Toadvine, Salisbury, Md.

Application October 20, 1950, Serial No. 191,131

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic water valves for poultry waterers and similar devices and is a continuation in part of my application vSerial No. 147,403, filed March 3, 1950, for Automatic Water Valve.

t is among the objects of the present invention to` provide an improved automatic Water valve from which a watering pan or trough can be suspended and which will automatically close when the trough is full to prevent overow and when the trough or pan is entirely empty or detached to prevent flooding the area, and which will automatically open only when the trough is partly full and attached .to the valve, which includes manually settable means for temporarily holding the valve open when the trough is empty to fill the trough, such means being spring actuated to return the valve to automatic operation when the trough has been lled, which regulates the flow of water to the trough and pan and prevents splashing and spraying, which is adjustable to control the rate of flow of water therethrough while the valve is held open by the manually -settable means, and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and positive and effective in operation,

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of an automatic water valve illustrative of the invention, parts being broken away and shown in cross section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the valve illustrated in Fig. 1

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2 showing the parts in a diierent operative position fro-rn that illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts in an operative position different from that illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

With continued reference to the drawing, the valve comprises an elongated tubular housing I0 having a cylindrical bore II extending longitudinally therethrough and provided at one end of the housing with internal screw threads I2. An elbow tting I3 having externally screw threaded end portions is threaded at one end into the screw threaded end of the housing I0 and is adapted to be connected at its other end to a water supply conduit so that the valve will be dependingly supported from the conduit.

Intermediate its length the housing is provided with an internal annular rib or collar I4 surrounding a central aperture and a centrally apertured washer or gasket I5 rests upon the side of this collar adjacent the screw threaded en of the housing.

A centrally ap-ertured screw plug I6 is threaded into the screw threaded end of the housing I and the end of this plug adjacent the collar I4 constitutes a valve seat. A valve plunger I'I has an elongated stem I8 which extends through the registering apertures in the washer I5 and the collar I4 and a head I9 on one end of the stem and disposed between the washer I5 and the screw plug I5. A gasket 20 of resilient material is disposed between the head I9 and the screw plug IS and cooperates with the adjacent end of the screw plug to close the valve in one direction. The head I9 cooperates with the adjacent surface of the Washer I5 to close the valve in the other direction.

The plunger head I9 and gasket 2U are smaller than the bore I I and suflicient space is provided circumferentially between these elements and the inner wall of the housing to permit the flow of water past the gasket 20 and head I9 when the valve is open, and the stem I8 is smaller than the apertures in the washer I5 and collar I4 by an amount suiicient to provide a space for the ow of water through these apertures past the stem when the valve is open.

An abutment block or bolt 2 I is slidably mounted in the end of the housing bore I I remote from the screw threads I2 and is smaller than the bore by an amount sufficient to provide a water ow space between this block and the inner surface of the housing. At one end the block is DIO- vided with a concave recess 22 which receives the adjacent end of the stem I8 and provides a deflector for a stream of water iiowing along the stem, reducing the velocity of this stream of water so that the water will flow slowly and uniformly through the space between the b'lock and the inner surface of the housing wall and will not spray out of the housing past the block. At its other end the block is tapered, as indicated at 23, and is provided with elongated notches 24 and 25 disposed at right angles to each other, the notch 25 being deeper than the notch 24 as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

At its end receiving the block 2| the housing I'tl is provided with a longitudinally extending notch 26 and an angle member 21 has one leg 28 extending along the side of the housing 0 and terminating at one end near the end of the housing in which the block 2| is received, the other end of this leg terminating near the internally screw threaded end of the housing. The leg 28 is provided in its end at the block receiving end of the housing with a notch registering with the notch 26 in the housing and the other leg 2S of the angle member extends perpendicularly from the leg 28' at the end of the latter adjacent the screw threaded end of the housing and constitutes a spring supporting arm later vto be described in detail.

A lever 3U extends through the notches in the bracket leg 28 and in the housing It and is pivotally connected at one end to the bracket leg 28 by a pivot pin 3| extending through registering apertures in the notched portion of the bracket leg and in the lever. One end or the lever 3|! extends into the housing lo and is received in the notch 25 in the block 2|. The edge of the lever adjacent the closed end of `the notch 25 is recessed, as indicated at 32, to provide on the end of the lever a rounded abutment 33 which bears against the bottom of the notch 25 to move the block 2| inwardly of 'the housing when a predetermined force, later to be described, is applied to the lever at the opposite side of the pivot pin 3|.

Near its other end the lever 35 is provided with a. series of notches 54 and with a series of corresponding apertures 35 and a suitable hook 35 is secured to the lever by extending through a Selected one of the notches 34 or the apertures 35 and depends from the lever` A poultry watering trough 31 has one end disposed below the hook 36 and connected to :the lower end of the latter byV a bail 38 so that the weight of the watering trough and any water therein pulls downwardly on the end of the lever 3B to which the hook 35 is connected. A downward pull on this end of the lever forces the block 2| inwardly of the housing l and moves the plunger |1 in a direction -to'compress the gasket 2li between the head I9 of the plunger and the adjacent end of the screw plug IS to thereby close the Valve. A coiled tension spring 40 is connected between the lever 30 and the arm 29 near the outer end of the arm` to resiliently move the lever in the 0D- posite direction, permittingy the block 2| to move outwardly of the housing and the plunger head I9 to contact the adjacent surface of the resilient washer to thereby close the valve in the opposite direction. i

The valve will thus close when the watering pan is full to prevent overflowing the pan or trough and will also close under the iniiuence` of thespring 49 when the pan is empty or detached to prevent flooding of the wateringlarea. The valve is open only when the plunger head I9 and associated gasket 2G are out of contact with both the washer I5 and the screw plug I6. This will occur when the weight of the trough 31 and theY water therein just balances the force of the spring 40 so 'that the spring will slightly raise.

thelever 30 to open the valve. As soon as suiiicientV water has passed through the valve andv intoY the trough to overcome the force of the spring, the lever will be pulled down and will again close the valve.

After the water has passed the cupv recess 22 in the inner end of the block 2| it will flow through the space4 between the block and the housing wall and along the block to the tapered end of the latter, flowing inwardly of the notches 24 and 25 as it flows downwardly along the block. This shape of the block produces a solid stream of water iiowing at low velocity from the lowery smaller end of the block which stream will fall directly into the trough 31 and Will not splash. The block 2| thus prevents the stream of water issuing from the Valve from spraying or splashing outside of the water receiving trough.

When the trough 31 is empty or detached from the lever 30 the spring 40 will pull the lever toward the bracket arm 29 permitting the plunger head ||l to contact the adjacent surface of the gasket 2U and close the valve. After the troughs have been cleaned they are reconnected to the corresponding valves in an empty condition. The valve will then be closed and will not permit a flow of water to the pan to rell the pan unless the lever 30 is held by some other means in its valvo opening position. Manually settable means are provided for this purpose and includes a tubular member 4| surrounding the spring 40 and an. adjustable stop 42 carried bythe bracket arm 29 near the outer end of the latter for Contact by the member 4|.

The spring 40 has on one end a loop received in an aperture 43 in the lever 38 intermediate the length of the latter and has on its other end a loop received in an eye provided on one end of av threaded stem 44 which extends through an aperture in the arm 29. stem 4t at the side of the arm 28 remote from the spring to vary the force exerted. by the spring on,

the lever 30.

The stop 42 comprises a screw threaded stem 4t threaded through an aperture in the arm 29 adjacent the stem 44 and provided on its end adjacent the lever 30 with a peripherally knurled head having a frustro-conical lower end 41. A. lock nut 48 is threaded onto the stem 46 at the side of the arm 29 remote from the head 41.

ln order to manually set the valve to open position to maintain a continuousy flow of water therethrough to fill the trough 31, the lever 3U' is depressed by hand against the tension of the spring 49 until the upper edge of the tubular member 4| can clear theA lower end of the head: The tubular member 4| is' 41 of the stop 42. then canted or tilted outwardly from the top to the position shown in Fig'. 5. The engaged portion of the upper edge of the tubular member then can ride up over the conical lowerA end of the head 41 and the opposite lower edge is engaged by the lever 30. The longitudinal expansion of the spring 48 on the lever 30 will lockthe tubular member in this position and the manual canting or tilting of the tubular element will distort the spring 4G so as to place the tubular member under lateral spring tension in this position. The stem 44 and stop 42A on the arm are so positioned that this canting or tilting of the tubular member is easily accomplished.

With the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 5,

when the volume of water in the trough 31 reaches a point where its weight will depress the lever 3U against the set longitudinal tension of the spring 40' the lateral tension of the spring due to its distortion will snap vthe tubular member laterally out of set position. This release is facilitated by the tilted position of the tubularmember and itsupper edge engagement with the cone shaped end of the head 41 of the stop 42. Further depression of the lever 30 will close the valve as shown in Fig. 1. However, the tubular mem.- ber 4I being` snapped out, of its set position will'.

A nut 45 is threaded on the,

not further interfere with the automatic operation. Water will now continue to flow into the trough until the weight of the trough is sufficient to move the lever 30 downwardly against the force of spring 4i! closing the valve by bringing the gasket 2t against the screw plug I6. When water is used from the trough the spring will raise the lever to open the valve and provide a flow of water to the trough to replenish the supply therein. l the trough is accidentally upset, the spring will raise the lever 30 suiciently for the plunger head i9 to contact the resilient Washer I5 and close the valve in that direction.

The adjustable stop 42 provides a means for controlling the time of flow of water through the valve while the valve is held open by engagement of the tubular member 4| with the stop.

The stop is adjusted by rst loosening the lock nut 48, then turning the stem 46 by the knurled head d'1 until the proper adjustment has been obtained and then tightening the lock nut to hold the stop in adjusted position.

By providing spring operation of the member 4l a positive release of the manually settable means to restore the valve to automatic operation is obtained at all times. It frequently happens that water will be spilled on the manually settable means for holding the valve open and, in cold weather this water will freeze and tend to hold the means in alve o enin osition even after s.

V p g p an outwardly projecting arm spaced from said the trough 31 has been filled. If this happens the valve would not close and water would ow through the valve and flood the area around the trough. As the valves are used in poultry houses where there is a considerable amount of dirt thrown into the air by the movement of the fowl, it also frequently happens that a piece of dirt will become lodged in the manually settable means holding it against release where-l gravity alone resets the automatic operation with,A With the-` cific forms without departing from the spirit or. essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the' scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing de-` scription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is: 1. In an automatic water valve including an elongated tubular housing, a conduit tting connected to one end of said housing, a double acting valve in said housing, a lever pivotally connected near one end to said housing and engaging said valve to close said valve in one direction when subjected to a predetermined force, an arm projecting from said housing in the same direction as said lever and spaced from the latter, and a spring connected between said arm and said lever resiliently engaging said lever in a direction to permit said valve to close in the opposite direction, a manually settable element interposed between said lever and said arm, said element being so related to said spring that said spring is distorted by said element when said element is set between said lever and said arm to releasably hold said lever in valve opening position against the force of said spring, said element being moved by said spring to free the lever for automatic operation of the valve when the predetermined force on said lever exceeds the spring force exerted thereon.

2. In an automatic water valve including a tubular valve housing, a double acting valve in said housing, a lever pivotally mounted near one end on said housing at one end of the latter and operatively connected to said valve to move the latter in one direction to closed position, a bracket secured to said housing and providing lever, a tension spring connected between said lever and said arm for moving said lever to free said valve to close in the opposite direction, an adjustable stop carried by said arm adjacent said spring, and a tubular member surrounding said spring between said lever and said arm and manually movable into engagement with said stop to hold said lever in position to maintain said valve open, said member distorting said spring when brought into engagement with said stop and being moved by said spring away from said stop when said lever is moved away from said arm against the force of said spring.

NORMAN F'. TOADVINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,327,999 Hill Jan. 13, 1920 1,530,668 Harter Mar. 24, 1925 1,653,525 White Dec. 20, 1927 2,496,046 Gilbough Jan. 31, 1950 2,512,839 Pruitt June 27, 1950 2,541,622 Toadvine Feb. 13, 1951 

